Con Dao Islands

The Con Dao Islands (Vietnamese: Côn Đảo) are an archipelago of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, in southeastern Vietnam, and a district of this province. Situated at about 185 km (115 mi) from Vung Tau and 230 km (143 mi) from Ho Chi Minh City, the group includes 16 mountainous islands and islets. The total land area reaches 75.15 km² and the local population is about 5,000.The largest island is Côn Sơn Island (also known as Con Lon Island), famous for its prison built by the French colonial government.

Prison island during French colonialism – Communist scholing against colonialism

During French colonialism in Vietnam, Con Dao Island was converted into a prison island torturing Vietnamese rebels. In the 1930s the rebels found the “answer” converting the French prisons on Con Dao Island into Communist “reading schools”. Many Vietnamese Communist leaders were formed on Con Dao Island for the liberation of Vietnam from French colonialism after 1945, and these leaders were also fighting against U.S.A. during Vietnam War against the split of the country.

Many of the islands were given protected status in 1984. In 1984, they became a national park, Côn Đảo National Park, which was subsequently enlarged in 1998. Endangered species protected within the park include the hawksbill turtle, the green turtle and the dugong. Ecosystems represented in the park include seagrass meadow, mangrove and coral reefs.

Côn Đảo National Park is working with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Vietnam to further protection in the marine areas, with programs to establish a Marine Protected Area that protects coral reefs, seagrass beds and species, while also developing sustainable nature-based ecotourism. The island’s management is strongly geared towards sustainable use, hoping to learn from previous experiences in Vietnam and the region to balance development with conservation.

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Nghĩa trang Hàng Dương – Ảnh Tháiphong

Hang Duong Cemetery has an area of 190,000 m2, and included 4 areas of A, B, C and D where is the resting place of about 20,000 prisoners.

Nghĩa trang Hàng Dương – Mộ bà Võ Thị Sáu – Ảnh Tháiphong

Nghĩa trang Hàng Dương – Ảnh Tháiphong

Hang Duong Cemetery has an area of 190,000 m2, and included 4 areas of A, B, C and D where is the resting place of about 20,000 prisoners.

At the celebration yard at the center of the Cemetery, there is Trao Ao statue covered with the sentence in the foot “Last Farewells to Comrades”. Hang Duong cemetery was preserved as the special historical relic because this is the final resting place of hundreds of the children of Vietnam who faced the enemy in the prison with chains to contribute to gain the freedom to the nation.

Trại 5 (Phú Phong) trại giam thời Mỹ – Ngụy – Ảnh Tháiphong

Các trại giam thời Mỹ – Ngụy – Ảnh Tháiphong

Các trại giam thời Mỹ – Ngụy  – Ảnh Tháiphong

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Bãi Lò Vôi – Ảnh Tháiphong

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Bãi Đầm Trầu – Ảnh Tháiphong

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Miếu Cậu ( nơi thờ mộ của con bà Phi Yến )- Ảnh Tháiphong

Bãi Đầm Trầu – Ảnh Tháiphong

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Miếu Bà Phi Yến (An Sơn Miếu) – Ảnh Tháiphong

This small local temple was built in homage to Lady Phi Yen, wife of Nguyen Emperor Gia Long, who was sequestered on the island. Just north of town, the temple is a 1958 remake of a late-19th-century original (destroyed by the French).

Lake AN HAI – Ảnh Tháiphong

Lake AN HAI – Ảnh Tháiphong

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Cầu tàu lịch sử 914- Ảnh Tháiphong

It was built in 1873, the over-100-meter long from the gate of Island Governor’s villa to Con Son bay. The pier 914 used to be witness to the former government’s several crimes.

Cầu tàu lịch sử 914- Ảnh Tháiphong

It was built in 1873, the over-100-meter long from the gate of Island Governor’s villa to Con Son bay. The pier 914 used to be witness to the former government’s several crimes.

Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo – Ảnh Tháiphong

The door opens with a clang and a creak as your docent unhitches the heavy hasp on the massive door out front — my guide was petite and wore a white ao dai dress that just didn’t match the surroundings.

Low guard towers loom over the open courtyard, and thick, high walls are topped in shards of glass. The guardhouse still has a chalkboard with smudges on it from the lists of names of the last residents. Comprising the bounds of the courtyard are the sloping terra-cotta-tiled roofs and shaded walkways of cellblocks. Where elsewhere in Vietnam the faded yellow plaster, heavy timbers, and umber tile work of French colonial architecture looks quaint and inviting, here it takes on a rather sinister aspect.

Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo – Ảnh Tháiphong

Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo- Ảnh Tháiphong

At the center of the broad space is a small Christian chapel built later in 1963, a bit of irony really, considering the atrocities committed here.

Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo – Ảnh Tháiphong

Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo – Ảnh Tháiphong

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Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo – Ảnh Tháiphong

Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo – Ảnh Tháiphong

Hệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo ( Chuồng Bò ) – Ảnh Tháiphong

Lake AN HAI – Ảnh Tháiphong

Di tích cầu Ma Thiêng Lãnh – Ảnh Tháiphong

Bãi Ông Đụng – Ảnh Tháiphong

 

 Nhà khách vãng lai (Công Quán) – Ảnh Tháiphong

Nằm nép mình dưới tán lá bàng cổ thụ trên đường Tôn Đức Thắng, cùng cụm di tích với Dinh Chúa đảo và Cầu tàu lịch sử 914, Công quán được biết đến là nơi dừng chân của nhà soạn nhạc vĩ đại người Pháp Camillesaint – Saens trong hai tháng trời từ ngày 20/3/1895 đến ngày 19/4/1895. Tại đây ông đã hoàn thành vở nhạc kịch Brunehilda. Công quán giờ là nơi trưng bày những hình ảnh, tư liệu về các cuộc đấu tranh của tù nhân. Nơi đây còn có gian phòng  trưng bày những hình ảnh của nhà soạn nhạc vĩ đại của thế giới Camillesaint – Saens cùng những tác phẩm nổi tiếng của ông.

 

 

2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

From http://www.theatlantic.com

The 25th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest is under way, and entries will be accepted for another six weeks, until June 30, 2013. First prize winner will receive a 10-day Galapagos expedition for two. National Geographic was once more kind enough to allow me to share some of the early entries with you here, gathered from four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place, and Spontaneous Moments. Photos and captions by the photographers. [42 photos]

A fennec fox walks against the wind in Morocco. The fennec, or desert fox, is a small nocturnal fox found in the Sahara Desert in North Africa. (© Francisco Mingorance/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

2

A raging sea dwarfs Seaham Lighthouse in County Durham in England, with 100 ft waves after a cold front moved down from the north bringing freezing temperatures to the North of England. (© Owen Humphreys/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

3

A Sadu pilgrim from Varanasi, India. (© Craig Stevenson/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

4

Crater lake Segara Anak located in Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia. (© Dodi Sandradi/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

5

A group of 12-14 hyenas were chasing a herd of 7-8 elephants. The elephant herd included 2 adult females, a few teenagers, and a baby that was a few days old (belonging to one of the adult females). The hyenas were trying to get at the baby. In this picture, the mother is kicking at the hyenas. (© Jayesh Mehta/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

6

Sunset on top of Lao Zhai mountain at the bank of Li River, Xingping, Guangxi, China. (© James Bian/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

7

The late morning fall air was just cool enough that the sap weeping from the trees would solidify in mid flight… creating beautiful marbles of amber falling to the ground. Kingston Mills Water Locks – Kingston, Ontario, Canada. (© Jay Foulds/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

8

Masters of disguise. The Eastern Screech Owl is seen here doing what they do best. You better have a sharp eye to spot these little birds of prey. (© Graham McGeorge/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

9

This tabular iceberg floats majestically in the Southern Ocean a few miles from South Georgia Island. Formerly a whaling station, the island is now an Antarctic research center. It was the ultimate destination of Ernest Shackelton’s desperate rescue voyage in 1916. (© Sue Volek/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

10

I have been traveling around the world and parts of Asia for the last six months and this is a shot I took at Tiger Palace in Bangkok, this is one of just a few tiger sanctuaries in Thailand that do not drug the animals, and because of this they sometimes get incredibly playful, here the tigers are having a play fight in some water. What was truly amazing was the speed at which they move, one minute they are 200 yards away, the next, they are right next to you staring down like they are deciding how you taste! (© Daniel Sakal/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

11

A very hungry humming bird drinking from the mouth of a person in Wyoming during an extreme drought in 2012. (© Sundell Larsen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

12

This picture is not a photo of painting, landscape nor I have used any Photoshop except minor cropping, rotation and converting from raw to jpeg. It is colored threads/wool hanging from the wall in an amazing way with a nail head coming out in between. I tried to create a feeling of moon and sea. (© Aditya Vardhan Tibrewala/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

13

King of the Hill: An American Bison on the National Bison Range, Moise, Montana. (© Mark Mesenko/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

14

The view from our hotel room in the San Blas district of Cusco. This area of town overlooked the rest of the city and gave us a breathtaking view as the sun and rain mixed one evening. (© Blake Burton/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

15

I have seen alligators and turtles together in ponds before, but never like this! I was at Bluebill Pond in Harris Neck NWR when I saw what I thought was an alligator sunning itself on a stump. As I got closer I realized that it was actually perched on the back of a turtle! I wish I had been there to witness how this surprising esprit de corps had came to pass! (© Mary Ellen Urbanski/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

16

Imagine yourself as this lone tree, standing in the snow waves. Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. (© Victor Liu/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

17

Living in Seattle I am spoiled by its beautiful skyline and the iconic Space Needle. This was not my first attempt capturing the moon with the Space Needle. After one failed attempt, I went back the next day for a second attempt and was treated with perfect conditions. As the moon rose above the horizon I was in disbelief as to how big it was, dwarfing the entire Space Needle observation deck. (© Hai Nguyen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

18

This picture was taken at the majestic Iguazu Falls, Misiones, Argentina. The flight of this flock of swifts across the huge waterfalls portrays the sense of freedom and wildness that belongs to this fantastic world wonder. (© Francesco Filippo Pellegrini/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

19

Tearing down a super tanker on a shoe-string budget. A gas torch, a tow line and human labor force, Sitakunda, Chittagong, Bangladesh. (© Lee Chong Kuang/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

20

While on safari in Kruger National Park we watched a coalition of four male cheetahs crossing the plain. This one got distracted and fell behind. Once he noticed the others were gone, he sprinted to catch up. I caught him nicely with a slow shutter pan. (© Douglas Croft/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

21

Shooting New Taipei City night scene, in the distance, a huge, strange cloud, from time to time issuing a strange flash reflection like a a beautiful watercolor painting. (© ?? ?/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

22

Long necked Padaung tribe woman wearing neck rings on Inle Lake, Myanmar. They come down from the mountains to sell their handmade jewelry and woven bags to tourists. (© Cynthia MacDonald/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

23

Kauai is a wild and magical place. It invokes a sense of freedom, appreciation, and love. At this particular beach waves rebound and crash off of lava rocks and cliffs forming into interesting shapes. (© Lace Andersen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

24

A young bat and his mother in flight in Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Israel. (© Gilad Guy/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

25

Bonobos…the unknown Ape. Most people do not even know what Bonobos are. I have been documenting their behavior for over 4 years now at the Jacksonville Zoo here in Florida and all I can say is this: “Minutes turn to hours when I am photographing Bonobos. I love to watch their mannerisms and interactions with each other. They are without a doubt our closest relative. It is my dream to one day get a chance to photograph them in the wild in their own world in the DRC.” (© Graham McGeorge/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

26

On the way to Ergaki, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. Twilight away the lights of one of the bases. (© Alexander Nerozya/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

27

A fascinating and breathtaking view of the Cappadocia morning breeze, in Turkey. (© Reynaldi Herdinanto/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

28

Located in the heart of Siberian Russia, Lake Baikal freezes over ever year. Walking around on the ice at sunset, I got down low to the ground and took this shot of some ice with the beautiful sunset in the background. (© Edward Graham/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

29

A child, captured by surprise, during shooting of a part of the old city (Sun City) of Jodhpur, India. (© Bruno Tamiozzo/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

30

Eruption of the Cordon Caulle, Chile. This was taken from Antillanca mountain. However despite the distance, the sound was awesome and was the most incredible experiences of my life with my uncle, who accompanied me that night. (© Rival Gustavo/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

31

I took this photograph near the spillway of Jordan lake dam shortly after the Osprey returned to my area for the 2013 season. Early in the spring, you can find them fishing at the base of the dam. I love photographing wildlife, but have a special place in my heart for any type of raptor. (© Brad Lenear/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

32

A scientist climbs out of an ice cave formed by volcanic vents near the summit of Mt. Erebus, Antarctica. (© Alasdair Turner/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

33

An impending storm moving in over a beautifully lit field in the evening in Montana. (© James Lam/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

34

A one-horned gazelle looks up at just the right moment in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. (© Kellie Reifstenzel/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

35

“The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft; and gathering swallows twitter in the skies.” (John Keats). The Duke of Westminster’s Drive, in Chester, England. (© Robert Reginald Williams/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

36

Cowboy, the real deal. Photo taken near J Bar L Ranch in Montana. This gentleman and his friends were riding across the state using only the real deal old school equipment. (© Jesper Anhede/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

37

Pergamon was an ancient Greek city in Aeolis, today located 16 miles (26 km) from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus. Some ancient authors regarded it as a colony of the Arcadians, but the various origin stories all belong to legend. (© Mehmet Fatih Yaldiz/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

38

Taken during the Belle Fouche prescribed burn at Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming. (© Drew Gilmour/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

39

This great white shark struck directly from below with such force that it leapt entirely clear of the water. Gansbaai, South Africa, where this image was taken, is one of the only places in the world where the sharks exhibit this behavior. (© Thomas Pepper/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

40

This image is shot in Kampung Pulo in East Jakarta. This village is unique with their various colors and plenty and maze like alleyways. I waited for a perfect moment on this dark alley when a child went out of his home and ran through the alley to meet his friends to play. (© Michael Ken/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

41

This church was built about 200 years ago on the banks of Hemavathi River near Hassan, India. About 25 years before, Gorur Dam was built, and every year the monsoons fill up the reservoir and flood the church, submerging it. Every Cycle takes away part of this holy place until nothing will remain. Hopefully this picture would provide a view of what man makes and how nature takes it away. (© Gurdyal Singh/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

42

Spring arrives in Sweden and the ice finally starts to melt on Lake Vättern. What started out as this year’s first stand-up paddle trip with my best friend ended up as a weird photo shoot, in Hjo, Sweden. (© Jesper Anhede/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) #

Deadly crossing

From http://www.boston.com

In 2012, sheriff’s deputies in Brooks County found 129 bodies, around double the amount from the year before and six times the number recorded in 2010. Most of those who die succumb to the punishing heat and rough terrain that comprise the ranch lands of south Texas. Reuters photographer, Eric Thayer, traveled to Brooks County, Texas and Reynosa, Mexico to investigate the rising rates of immigrant deaths along the border there, spending time at a migrant’s hostel in Mexico and with U.S. Border Patrol in Brooks County. Many migrants, after spending several weeks traveling through Mexico and past the Rio Grande, spend a few days in a “stash house,” such as Casa del Migrante, in Reynosa, Mexico, and many are ignorant of the treacherous journey ahead. — Paula Nelson ( 28 photos total)

A U.S. Border Patrol agent from the Rio Grande Valley Sector searches for a group of undocumented immigrants who crossed the Rio Grande River in Mission, Texas March 28, 2013. Brooks County has become an epicenter for illegal immigrant deaths in Texas. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)

2

U.S. Border Patrol agent, Daniel Tirado, from the Rio Grande Valley Sector looks out at the Rio Grande river in Hidalgo, Texas, March 28, 2013. In 2012, sheriff’s deputies found 129 bodies there, six times the number recorded in 2010. Most of those who died succumbed to the punishing heat and rough terrain that comprise the ranch lands of south Texas. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

3

The border fence, Hidalgo, Texas, March 28, 2013. Many migrants often spend a few days in a “stash house”, such as the Casa del Migrante, in Reynosa, Mexico, and many are ignorant of the treacherous journey ahead. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

4

U.S. Border Patrol agents search for a group of 50 undocumented immigrants, following a report from a rancher, near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013.(Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

5

Two men are taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

6

Two men are in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013. Brooks County has become an epicenter for undocumented immigrant deaths in Texas. In 2012, sheriff’s deputies found 129 bodies there, six times the number recorded in 2010. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

7

A group of undocumented immigrants, who turned themselves over to U.S. Border Patrol, sit in a restaurant in Encino, Texas, March 29, 2013. Members of the group said their guide left them in the desert and never returned. After being lost for days and running out of food and water they turned themselves in. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

8

People are taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013. In 2012 sheriff’s deputies found 129 bodies in Brooks county, six times the number recorded in 2010. Most of those who died succumbed to the punishing heat and rough terrain that comprise the ranch lands of south Texas. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

9

People taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

10

A U.S. Border Patrol agent walks past a rescue beacon near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

11

A memorial in the desert near Falfurrias, Texas, April 2, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

12

A sign at the Falfurrias U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

13

A U.S. Border Patrol agent looks out at the desert near Falfurrias, Texas, March 29, 2013. Most of those who die coming across the border, succumb to the punishing heat and rough terrain that comprise the ranch lands of south Texas. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

14

A sign on the gate of a ranch in Falfurrias, Texas, April 2, 2013. Brooks County is an epicenter of undocumented immigrant deaths in Texas. In 2012, sheriff’s deputies found 129 bodies there, six times the number recorded in 2010. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

15

A U.S. Border Patrol agent checks cars at the Falfurrias checkpoint, near Falfurrias, Texas March 29, 2013. Located about 70 miles (113 km) north of the border, 5,000-7,000 cars pass through the checkpoint on a normal day, and 12,000 on holidays.(Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

16

A car filled with bales of marijuana at a police station in La Grulla, Texas, March 28, 2013. When police tried to pull the car over, the driver led officers on a high speed pursuit, driving the car into the Rio Grande river. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled back across the river and into Mexico. Border Patrol agents and local and state law enforcement are inundated with not only an increase in the numbers of undocumented immigrants, but drug smugglers as well. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

17

A street sign in the southmost neighborhood in Brownsville, Texas, March 30, 2013. In 2012, sheriff’s deputies found 129 bodies in Brooks county, six times the number recorded in 2010. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

18

A boy runs on the shore at the boundary between the United States and Mexico, where the Rio Grande river meets the Gulf of Mexico, Brownsville, Texas, March 31, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

19

A memorial cross in memory of the people who have died crossing the border at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, April 1, 2013. Casa del Migrante provides housing, food, clothing and medical care to people who are planning to cross the border, and to those who have been deported from the United States. The words on the cross read, “In memory of the deceased migrants.” (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

20

A man sits on a couch at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, April 1, 2013. Casa del Migrante provides housing, food, clothing and medical care to people who are planning to cross the border, and to those who have been deported from the United States. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

21

People relax at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, April 1, 2013. Casa del Migrante provides housing, food, clothing and medical care to people who are planning to cross the border, and to those who have been deported from the United States. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

22

Beds in a sleeping area at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, April 1, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

23

A man washes his clothes at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, April 1, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

24

A man is reflected in a mirror at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, Mexico, April 1, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

25

A man stands in a sleeping area at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, April 1, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

26

A man receives a haircut at Casa del Migrante in Reynosa, April 1, 2013. Casa del Migrante provides housing, food, clothing and medical care to people who are planning to cross the border, and to those who have been deported from the United States. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

27

The unidentified graves of people whose remains were found in the desert in Falfurrias, Texas, April 1, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)#

28

The unidentified grave of a person whose remains were found in the desert in Falfurrias, Texas, April 1, 2013. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) #

Book Art by Jonathan Wolstenholme

From http://www.beautifullife.info

Jonathan Wolstenholme is a British artist and illustrator best known for his amazingly detailed works deriving from a love of old books. Books on Books is a series of illustrations in which the book world is being described by… the books. Jonathan Wolstenholme combines his appreciation of surrealism, his fondness for antiquarian books, and his wry humor in creating his clever and engaging anthropomorphic images. In doing so, he has created a popular niche for his art, and brought attention to a disappearing art-form; the ancient hallmark of creating books.

 

 

Realistic Celebrity Dolls by Noel Cruz

From http://www.beautifullife.info

Filipino artist Noel Cruz is a well known master in painting dolls. He takes ordinary Barbie dolls and with using his outstanding skills creates dolls strikingly similar to Hollywood actors and actress. In his collections you will easily find wonderful “copies” of Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Robert Pattinson and many other celebrities. Noel sells his art works via eBay and if you want to become a happy owner of such masterpiece or if you want to increase your collection with “portrait” of your favorite person visit his page on eBay.

 

 

Princess Diana

 

Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries)

 

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara

 

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson

as Eward Cullen and Bella Swan (Twilight)

 

Anne Hathaway

 

Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

 

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)

 

Bette Davis

 

Céline Dion

 

Charlize Theron

 

Daniel Craig

 

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter

 

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger

 

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

 

Elvis Presley

 

Farrah Fawcett

 

Johnny Depp
as Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)

 

Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)

 

Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater (Titanic)

 

Kirsten Dunst

 

Lady GaGa

 

Marilyn Monroe

 

Liv Tyler as Arwen (The Lord of the Rings)

 

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings)

 

Michael Jackson

 

Annie Lennox

 

Brooke Shields

 

Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie

as Frank Tupelo and Elise Clifton-Ward (The Tourist)

Don Café House by Innarch

From http://www.beautifullife.info

Innarch have designed the Don Café House in Pristina, Kosovo. “The idea / inspiration for the design derives from sack filled with coffee grains. The walls of the bar are organically shaped and colored like coffee sack made up of “Plywood” type of wood, whereby the pillars in between are coated with textile coffee sacks. Tables and hanging chandeliers represent the coffee grains lined up asymmetrically in order to generate the impression of being inside a coffee sack. The separating wall has a double function; decorative and functional. Its organic shape consists the most dominant part of the premise enabling a unique feeling of sitting unlike any other one comes across in everyday life. Each of the plywood element was designed individually. This because for the creation of an entire organic shape, each of the element needs to be designed separately.” Take a look!

 

 

 

Camera Lens Wedding Ring

From http://www.beautifullife.info

For all photography lovers and others who love cameras for more reasons than one, Titanium Buzz has designed a lens-inspired wedding ring. Dubbed the Camera Lens Ring, it’s similar to a camera lens dedicatedly made to lure photographers getting married or have deep passion for their work and would love to wear a love band that expresses their passion. The ring is embedded with AF/MF autofocus toggle switch and in appearance is like the bottom side of the lens. The rings are made from zirconium. Measuring 10mm wide, the rings can be made for any size finger with personalized laser engraving of maximum 25 characters for a hefty price tag of $329.

 

 

Terrafugia TF-X: Your Personal Flying Car

From http://www.beautifullife.info

The Massachusetts-based firm Terrafugia has announced its Transition design, which is part sedan, part private jet with two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car, will be on sale in less than two years. They have also unveiled plans for a TF-X model that will be small enough to fit in a garage, and won’t need a runway to take off. Motorised rotors attached to the wings of the TF-X make it possible to take off from standing still. This means cars could switch from driving to flying when they encounter traffic. However, the wingspan requires a diameter of 100 feet to do so. Take a look!

Harley Davidson National Rally in China

From http://www.theatlantic.com

Last weekend, Reuters photographer Carlos Barria traveled to Zheijiang Province, China, to photograph some of the 1,000 Harley Davidson enthusiasts who attended China’s 5th annual Harley Davidson National Rally, part of the company’s 110-year anniversary. Harley Davidson only began official sales in China in 2005, and its bikes are considered to be luxury items by Chinese tax authorities, so they are taxed at extremely high rates — a 2013 motorcycle might sell for 200,000 yuan ($32,500), approximately four times the average annual salary in Beijing. Transportation authorities have also placed Harleys in the same category as electric bikes, horses and bicycles, so they cannot be ridden on highways and major avenues. [18 photos]

A couple rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle during the annual Harley Davidson National Rally in Qian Dao Lake, in Zhejiang Province, China, on May 11, 2013. Around 1,000 Harley Davidson enthusiasts from all over China met at the rally, as part of the company’s 110-year anniversary. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

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A man rides during the annual Harley Davidson National Rally in Qian Dao Lake, in Zhejiang Province, China, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A Harley Davidson fan dances during the annual rally in Qian Dao Lake, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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Emblems on the backs of motorcycles rider jackets, at the annual Harley Davidson National Rally in Qian Dao Lake, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A couple rides in the rally in Qian Dao Lake, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A man rides through a crowd in Zhejiang Province, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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Harley Davidson riders pass through a tunnel during the annual rally in Qian Dao Lake, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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Harley Davidson riders pose for a group picture in Zhejiang Province, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A man rides a decorated Harley Davidson in Qian Dao Lake, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A woman attends the annual Harley Davidson National Rally in Qian Dao Lake, China, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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At the Harley Davidson National Rally in Zhejiang Province, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A couple rides their motorcycle at the Qian Dao Lake rally, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A Harley Davidson rider with decorated helmet takes a break in Zhejiang Province, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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Helmeted riders pose in Qian Dao Lake, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A local boy wearing a helmet poses next to a Harley Davidson motorcycle in Zhejiang Province, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A woman takes a picture of a customized Harley Davidson during an annual rally in Qian Dao Lake, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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Harley Davidson logo on a dirtied motorcycle, during China’s annual Harley Davidson Rally in Zhejiang Province, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

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A man wearing a skeleton mask prepares to ride his Harley Davidson motorcycle during the annual Harley Davidson National Rally in Qian Dao Lake, China, on May 11, 2013. (Reuters/Carlos Barria) #

Chechnya: daily life

From http://www.boston.com

After two Chechen brothers were named in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, Reuters photographer Maxim Shemetov took this collection of images titled “Inside Modern Chechnya” showing daily life in a country now in the forefront of the news in and around the capital of Grozny. — Lloyd Young ( 28 photos total)

Members of a Chechen dance group pose for photographers at a government-organized event marking Chechen language day in the center of the Chechen capital Grozny on April 25. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

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An aerial view shows the center of the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 29. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, center, watches as men load up a cannon during a government-organized event marking Chechen language day in the center of the Chechen capital on April 25. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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A police car drives along a street in the center of Grozny on April 22. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Muslim men arrive for Friday prayers at the central mosque in the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 26. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Anzor and Salakhutdin, students at the Russian Islamic University, pray in their flat in Grozny on April 23. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Chechen women chat in a cafe in the center of Grozny on April 23. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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A car drives past horses, standing at the edge of a road, outside the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 24. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Cars drive along the road outside Chiri-Yurt, the village where the Tsarnaev family has it’s roots, in Chechnya, Russia on April 29. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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The Heart of Chechnya mosque is seen in the Chechen capital on April 27. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Boys play soccer on the outskirts of Grozny on April 27. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Muslim men wait for Friday prayers in the Heart of Chechnya Mosque in Grozny on April 26. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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An employee of a memorial complex devoted to former Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov signs documents in the Chechen capital on April 26. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Students attend a lesson at the Russian Islamic University in the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 23. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Students attend a lesson in Sharia law at the Russian Islamic University on April 23. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Terek Grozny fans support their team during a soccer match against Amkar Perm at the Akhmad Arena stadium in Grozny on April 27. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Participants in a local mixfight competition wrestle in the ring, with a portrait of former Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov in the background in the village of Goryachevodsk on April 24. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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A young Chechen man looks out of a car in front of a building that bears the slogan: “Ramzan, thank you for Grozny!” in the Chechen capital on April 22. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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A boy walks along the street in Chiri-Yurt, the village where the Tsarnaev family has its roots, in Chechnya, Russia on April 29. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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People wait for a bus outside Chiri-Yurt, the village where the Tsarnaev family has its roots, in Chechnya, Russia. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Guests dance at a wedding in the Chechen capital on April 24. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Women watch dancing at a wedding party in Grozny on April 24(Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Special forces officers stand guard during a government-organized event marking Chechen language day in the center of the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 25. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Members of a youth club supporting former Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov (printed on flag) march along a street during a rally in the center of the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 25. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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A policeman wears a ring showing the Islamic symbol of the star and crescent, in the Chechen village of Itum-Kale April on 29. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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A group of young Chechen men hang out on a street corner in the center of the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 29. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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A Muslim man prays in the Heart of Chechnya Mosque in Grozny on April 26. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

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Girls play on swings in a playground in the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 29. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) #

Welcome Back to Earth, Commander Hadfield

From http://www.theatlantic.com

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, commander of the just-completed Expedition 35 aboard the International Space Station, landed safely yesterday in Kazakhstan along with crew members Tom Marshburn and Roman Romanenko after five months in orbit. In his time aboard the ISS, Commander Hadfield not only took hundreds of photographs and conducted conferences with students on Earth, he took his stories to social media, catching the attention of the world. Hadfield, with the help of his sons Evan and Kyle, took the web by storm, creating popular presences on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, and more. His videos answered questions about everyday existence in zero-gravity with a dose of science mixed with humor. To top things off, Hadfield, also a musician, finished his command mission by releasing his own version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, with Bowie’s blessing. Gathered here are some photos of and by Commander Hadfield during his remarkable mission. [40 photos]

The Russian Soyuz space capsule, carrying Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, U.S. astronaut Tom Marshburn, and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, lands some 150 km (90 miles) southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan, on May 14, 2013. The first Canadian astronaut to command the International Space Station (ISS) landed safely in Kazakhstan with two crewmates on Tuesday, wrapping up a five-month mission aboard the ISS. (Reuters/Mikhail Metzel)

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Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield, in a training version of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, on July 19, 2011. (NASA/Robert Markowitz) #

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ISS crew members, from left: Roman Romanenko, Thomas Marshburn and Chris Hadfield, joke during a talk with relatives after putting on their space suits at the Baikonur cosmodrome Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, December 19, 2012. (AP Photo/ Shamil Zhumatov, pool) #

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Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency pays tribute at the Kremlin Wall in Moscow, on November 29, 2012 where Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space and other Russian space heroes are interred, on November 29, 2012. The tribute, involving the laying of flowers at the Wall, was part of ceremonial activities that will lead to the launch of Hadfield, Marshburn and Romanenko to the ISS, on December 19. (NASA/Stephanie Stoll) #

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At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 34/35 Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko (foreground) and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency conduct a “fit check” dress rehearsal inside the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft, on December 7, 2012. (NASA/Victor Zelentsov) #

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Chris Hadfield, left, chats with friends and relatives during the pre-launch preparations at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on December 19, 2012. (AP Photo/ Maxim Shipenkov) #

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Relatives and friends of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, pose in Hadfield helmet-and-moustache masks near an astronaut’s hotel prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket in Kazakhstan, on December 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky) #

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The Soyuz rocket is erected into position after being rolled out to the launch pad by train on Monday, December 17, 2012, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (NASA/Carla Cioffi) #

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Expedition 34 NASA Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield, NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn and Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko wave farewell from the bottom of the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on December 19, 2012. (NASA/Carla Cioffi) #

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The Soyuz TMA-07M rocket during liftoff at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 19, 2012. (NASA/Carla Cioffi) #

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The Soyuz rocket lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 19, 2012. (NASA/Carla Cioffi) #

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Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia, photographed by astronaut Chris Hadfield, aboard the ISS, on February 26, 2013. (Reuters/Chris Hadfield/NASA) #

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Chris Hadfield strums his guitar in the Cupola aboard the ISS, on December 25, 2012. Hadfield, a long-time member of an astronaut band called Max Q, later joined with the other five Expedition 34 crew members in a more spacious location to provide an assortment of Christmas carols for the public. (NASA) #

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The moon is pictured above Earth in this photo courtesy of Col. Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency. (Reuters/CSA/Col. Chris Hadfield) #

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Hadfield: When I look at thunderstorms from above, I see faces. What do you see in the clouds? (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Inside the Cupola of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield, sits in for a refresher session with the controls of the Canadian-built Space Station Remote Manipulator System or Canadarm2, on February 25, 2013. (NASA) #

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Hadfield: Bullet hole – a small stone from the universe went through our solar array. Glad it missed the hull. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Hadfield: Belle Isle, Newfoundland – natural icebreaker at the mouth of the Strait. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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In the Unity node of the ISS, Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield enjoys part of the “fruits of labor,” so to speak, from a visiting spacecraft for the second time in a month. This particular grapefruit came by way of the Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft, which arrived on March 29, 2013, along with three new Expedition 35 crew members. The SpaceX Dragon-2 spacecraft delivered a nice assortment of fresh fruit along with more than a half ton of supplies and gear on March 3, when Hadfield was serving as a flight engineer on the Expedition 34 crew. (NASA) #

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This nocturnal photo of London, England was downlinked by the Expedition 34 crew from the International Space Station, flying approximately 240 miles above Earth, on February 2, 2013. Chris Hadfield added a footnote: “London, on the Thames, from the city to the encircling motorway. Heathrow very visible on the (west).” North is at the bottom making west on the right in this image. It’s the bright feature with dark parallel lines near the outer looping road. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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The islands of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, courtesy of Col. Chris Hadfield, aboard the ISS, taken on March 20, 2013. (Reuters/CSA/Col. Chris Hadfield) #

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Astronaut Chris Hadfield works with Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space, in the Destiny laboratory aboard the ISS. R2 was powered up so ground controllers could run it through a series of tests and configuration checks, on January 31, 2013. (NASA) #

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Hadfield: The starkest of beauty, in Saudi Arabia, May 3, 2013. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Hadfield: Antipodes Islands, looking like an island flag, April 7, 2013. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Hadfield: Dubai, the Palm Island like a trilobite in the night. April 30, 2013. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield holds a still camera while looking through a window in the Cupola of the ISS, on 7 January 2013. (NASA) #

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Hadfield: Chesapeake to Cape Cod to Lake Huron – in a glance, so much history, geology and geography, May 9, 2013. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Hadfield: How do you sprinkle salt and pepper without gravity? We squirt salt water and pepper oil. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield watches a water bubble float freely between him and the camera, showing his image refracted, in the Unity node of the International Space Station, on January 21, 2013. (NASA) #

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Hadfield: Clouds swoop in on Crimea, a white bird on the Black Sea. (NASA/CSA/Chris Hadfield) #

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In support of the Blood Pressure Regulation Experiment (BP Reg), Commander Chris Hadfield is pictured after having set up the Human Research Facility (HRF) PFS (Pulmonary Function System) and the European Physiology Module (EPM) Cardiolab (CDL) Leg/Arm Cuff System (LACS) and conducting the first ever session of this experiment, on April 17, 2013. The test, which will be repeated using other crew members as well, will help to identify the astronauts who could benefit from countermeasures before returning to Earth. (NASA) #

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Hadfield: New York City, incredibly clear, before the trees have filled with leaves, April 23, 2013. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Chris Hadfield, seen on a video screen holding the new Canadian five dollar bill, made of polymer, while on a mission in space, as he takes part in a video conference during an unveiling ceremony at the Bank of Canada in Ottawa, on April 30, 2013. (Reuters/Chris Wattie) #

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Hadfield: This is what happens when engineers turn to agriculture (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Hadfield: St Lawrence’s mouth, where the Great Lakes pour into the sea, April 20, 2013. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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Hadfield: There is no try – only do. May the 4th be with you. (NASA/Chris Hadfield) #

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The Russian Soyuz space capsule, carrying Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, U.S. astronaut Tom Marshburn, and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, descends some 150 km (90 miles) southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan, on May 14, 2013. (Reuters/Mikhail Metzel) #

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A Russian Soyuz space capsule lands safely in central Kazakhstan, on May 14, 2013. (Reuters/Sergei Remezov) #

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Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield (left), Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko (center) and U.S. astronaut Tom Marshburn, pose for a picture after leaving the Russian Soyuz space capsule following its landing in central Kazakhstan, on May 14, 2013. (Reuters/Sergei Remezov) #

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Astronaut Chris Hadfield gives a thumbs-up after his Russian Soyuz space capsule landed in central Kazakhstan, on May 14, 2013. The first Canadian astronaut to command the International Space Station (ISS) landed safely with two crewmates, wrapping up a five-month mission aboard the ISS. (Reuters/Mikhail Metzel) #

Sichuan Earthquake: Five Years Later

From http://www.theatlantic.com

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 quake which struck a mountainous region in southwestern China, destroying several villages, killing more than 70,000, and leaving another 18,000 still listed as missing. In the hard-hit town of Beichuan, dozens of massive buildings toppled or collapsed. Chinese authorities decided to stabilize the remaining buildings after the earthquake, preserving the entire town as a memorial to the tremendous loss. Collected here are photographs of Beichuan as it stands today, mourners paying their respects, a newly-opened museum, and some of the rebuilding taking place in the region. See also: The Legacy of Sichuan’s Big Earthquake. [26 photos]

Residents gather before a monument on the 5th anniversary of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, on May 12, 2013, in Yingxiu township of Wenchuan county, Sichuan province. China. (AFP/Getty Images)

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Residents attend a ceremony among the ruins of Beichuan, to mark the 5th anniversary of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in old Beichuan county, on May 12, 2013. (AFP/Getty Images) #

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Earthquake survivors mourn for earthquake victims at the ruins of earthquake-hit Beichuan, on the five year anniversary of the earthquake, on May 12, 2013, in Mianyang, China. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Residents give offerings and mourn the dead on the 5th anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake on May 12, 2013. (AFP/Getty Images) #

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Family members of earthquake victims burn offerings to mourn their relatives at the ruins of Beichuan, on May 12, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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The ruins of earthquake-hit Beichuan, on May 11, 2013 in Mianyang, China. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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An aerial view of the ruins of Beichuan, viewed on Google Earth. (© Google, Inc.) #

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People visit the newly-opened Wenchuan Earthquake Memorial Museum in the town of Qushan, Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, on May 9, 2013. The museum was officially opened to the public to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake, which hit Sichuan on May 12, 2008. (AP Photo) #

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Residents stand before a monument to the victims of the 5-12 Sichuan earthquake on the 5th anniversary of the disaster, on May 12, 2013, in Yingxiu township. (AFP/Getty Images) #

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A young tourist visits the Wenchuan Earthquake Memorial in Mianyang, on May 11, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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A mother cries for her son in the ruins of Beichuan, on May 12, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Tourists visit the old Beichuan county, deserted after the town was hit by a massive earthquake on May, 12 2008, in Sichuan province, on May 12, 2013. (AP Photo) #

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Residents view some of the ruins of old Beichuan county, on May 11, 2013. (AFP/Getty Images) #

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Two men lower the national flag at the Beichuan Middle School’s ruins on May 11, 2013 in Mianyang. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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People mourn for earthquake victims at the ruins of earthquake-hit Beichuan county, on May 12, 2013. (ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images) #

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Relatives of earthquake victims burn offerings in the ruins of Beichuan on May 12, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Nighttime view of the ruins of Beichuan, on May 11, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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A tree continues to grow at the foot of a collapsed building and destroyed car, left in place since the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, on May 11, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Ruins of Beichuan, on May 11, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Empty toppled buildings in Beichuan, on May 11, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Huge landslides triggered by the 2008 earthquake filled valleys and dammed rivers, creating “quake lakes”, and altering river flows. Part of the Jian River still flows through a mountain road tunnel in Beichuan, spilling out over a broken bridge, photographed on May 10, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Flowers blossom on the wreckage of the 5-12 Sichuan earthquake in Mianzhu, on May 8, 2013. (AFP/Getty Images) #

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Workers build a wooden house near the earthquake ruins in Beichuan, on May 10, 2013. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Newly-built residences and common buildings in Beichuan county, photographed on May 11, 2013, before the five year anniversary of the Wenchuan Earthquake in Mianyang, China. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Newly-built residences and common buildings in Beichuan county, photographed on May 11, 2013, before the five year anniversary of the Wenchuan Earthquake in Mianyang, China. (Feng Li/Getty Images) #

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Children gather around cakes on a table as they celebrate their birthdays at a temple in Shifang, Sichuan province, on May 12, 2013. According to local reports, the children were born shortly after May 12, 2008, the time the Wenchuan Earthquake struck. A Buddhist abbot took in 108 pregnant women in his temple, and helped them deliver their children. On the fifth anniversary of the earthquake, the children came back to celebrate their birthday as well as expressing their gratitude to the temple. (Reuters/China Daily) #

Sugar and salt

From http://www.boston.com

Although modern techniques often bring sugar and salt to our tables, these two simple treats for the palate are still harvested and processed in traditional, if not ancient methods the world over. Over 160 million tons of sugar is produced annually in well over 100 countries, most of it processed from cane in tropical countries. The world uses 240 million tons of salt every year in everything from food to industrial applications. Gathered here are images of the toils that result in two of our favorite flavors. — Lane Turner (32 photos total)

A cut stem of sugar cane stands in a field in Saraburi province, Thailand on May 9, 2012. Thailand is the world’s second-biggest exporter. (Dario Pignatelli/Bloomberg)

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Indian salt pan worker Bhartiben Rameshbhai breaks up the mineral from a flooded salt pan near Odu village in the Little Rann of Kutch region in India on May 1, 2013. Recent unseasonal rains in the region have washed away tons of precious salt there, ruining the livelihoods of hundreds. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A visitor walks past the Chamber of the Mirrors in the Nemocon salt mine on September 26, 2012. The mine is one of Colombia’s most popular tourist attractions. (Jose Miguel Gomez/Reuters) #

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Antonio Noguera boils the water extracted from mangrove swamps at a pool to process kitchen salt in a salt mine in Colorado de Abangares, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on April 11, 2013. People work in temperatures between 35 and 40 Celsius for 122 dollars a month. (Jeffrey Arguedas/EPA) #

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The salt field at Palibelo village on the outskirts of Bima, Indonesia lies tranquil on November 22, 2012. (Beawiharta/Reuters) #

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A man prays in a Mosque made up of salt rock at the world’s second largest salt mine in Khewra, Pakistan on April 20, 2013. The mine is Pakistan’s oldest salt mine and a major tourist attraction, drawing up to 250,000 visitors a year. Its history dates to 320 BC following its discovery by Alexander’s troops, but trading began in the Mughal era. The main tunnel was developed during British rule in 1872. The mine produces more than 350,000 tons a year. (Omer Saleem/EPA) #

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A worker shows flower of salt, also known as the caviar of salt, in the saltworks near Nin, Croatia on August 24, 2012. It appears at the sea surface as a thin layer of salt flakes, like flower petals, which are collected manually with micron sieves. Price for this kind of salt reaches 50 euros per kilogram. (Hrvoje Polan/AFP/GettyImages) #

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Smoke rises from the chimney of the sugar factory in Plattling, Germany on October 9, 2012. (Armin Weigel/AFP/GettyImages) #

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An Afghan worker prepares traditional sweets at a factory on the outskirts of Jalalabad on November 25, 2012. (Noorullah Shirzada/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A worker burns sugar cane waste, part of the process in making biochar, at the Eco Fuel Africa factory in Lugazi, Uganda on January 29, 2013. The process produces a powder which can be used as an organic fertilizer or compressed for use as a bio fuel which burns longer than charcoal. (Michele Sibiloni/AFP/Getty Images) #

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A man works on salt beds in Pangasinan province, Philippines on May 6, 2013. Salt-making is a major source of livelihood for the province’s coastal towns. (Aaron Favila/Associated Press) #

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A woman throws out soil after collecting salt from it in Djegbadji, Benin on January 11, 2013. Artisanal salt farmers here dig off the top layer of soil near their homes then filter water through the dirt to draw out salt. They later boil the water to collect the salt. (Sunday Alamba/Associated Press) #

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A worker tests the quality of ethanol samples at a processing facility near Sertaozinho, Brazil on August 24, 2012. Some 48.5 percent of all the cane processed will be directed to sugar at the expense of ethanol. (Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg) #

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A Cambodian man carries palm juice for making sugar during harvesting season in Tuol, Cambodia on December 13, 2012. (Heng Sinith/Associated Press) #

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Local farmers cut sugar cane at Chea Khlang commune’s field in Prey Veng, Cambodia on September 1, 2012. (Heng Sinith/Associated Press) #

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A worker pushes a wagon full of salt at the Ston Saltworks in Ston, Croatia on July 31, 2012. The Ston Saltworks are the oldest and best preserved salt works from Mediterranean history, with technique dating from the time of the Republic of Dubrovnik. (Antonio Bronic/Reuters) #

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Guillermo Castillo, 60, works on a valve that regulates the passage of sugar cane juice at a processing plant in Jaronu, Cuba on September 8, 2012. (Franklin Reyes/Associated Press) #

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Workers collect salt in a pool at the salt mine in Salinas, Dominican Republic on July 28, 2012. The Salinas mines have been a source of salt since the time of the conquest. Workers earn about $150 for a month’s work. (Ricardo Rojas/Reuters) #

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A worker walks in a salt field in Palibelo village, Indonesia on November 22, 2012. (Beawiharta/Reuters) #

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Men work at a sugar cane plantation in Siribala, Mali on January 24, 2013. (Joe Penney/Reuters) #

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A farmer from the Nueva Jerusalen sect rides his donkey through a sugar cane field in Nueva Jerusalen, Mexico on September 26, 2012. (Alan Ortega/Reuters) #

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A woman harvests sugarcane at the Montelimar sugar mill on the outskirts of Managua on December 31, 2012. Nicaragua plans to produce some 1.5 million short tons of sugar. (Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters) #

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A man makes brown sugar at his house on the outskirts of Peshawar on November 6, 2012. (Fayaz Aziz/Reuters) #

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Blocks of panela, solid chunks of unrefined whole cane sugar obtained from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice, sit in a barrel at a sugar mill in Tepetitan, El Salvador on February 26, 2012. (Juan Carlos/Bloomberg) #

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Pools of salt form patterns at the Maras mines in Cuzco, Peru on August 29, 2012. (Janine Costa/Reuters) #

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A worker carries a bag of salt through pools of salt at the Maras mines in Cuzco, Peru on August 29, 2012. The Maras mines have been a source of salt since ancient pre-Incan civilizations and now comprise about 3,000 small pools constructed on the slope of a mountain in the Urubamba valley in the Andean region of Cuzco. (Janine Costa/Reuters) #

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Roads intersect at a Rio Tinto Group salt operation in Dampier, Australia on August 20, 2012. (Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg) #

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Farmers harvest sugarcane in a field in Yomitan Village, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on February 24, 2012. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg) #

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A worker drinks water from a kettle as he harvests sugar cane in Sidoarjo, Indonesia on September 19, 2012. (Sigit Pamungkas/Reuters) #

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Mine operational manager Arnaud Tamborini takes a sample of salt for analysis on the trolley in the salt mine in Bex, Switzerland on December 4, 2012. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters) #

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A man uses wooden rafts to transport pieces of salt rock after extracting them from the bed of Lake Katwe in Uganda on January 29, 2013. The rock is extracted three times a week, usually by men who work from dusk to dawn, paid two dollars for every 220 pounds of salt rock sold. (James Akena/Reuters) #

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A man smiles as he extracts salt rock from the bed of Lake Katwe in Uganda on January 29, 2013. (James Akena/Reuters) #

A Trip to South Korea

From http://www.theatlantic.com While neighboring North Korea makes worldwide headlines with threats and demands, South Koreans have adjusted slightly to possible dangers, but largely carry on with their everyday lives. The war that halted in 1953 reverberates strongly today, including the … Continue reading →

National Geographic Traveler Magazine: 2013 Photo Contest

From http://www.boston.com/ The National Geographic Traveler Magazine photo contest, now in its 25th year, has begun. There is still plenty of time to enter. The entry deadline is Sunday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. Entrants may submit their photographs in … Continue reading →

Wildfires in California

From http://www.boston.com California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday declared this week as “Wildfire Awareness Week” in recognition of last week’s devastating fires northwest of Los Angeles. His proclamation noted, “In an average year, wildfires burn 900,000 acres of California’s … Continue reading →

Chinese DIY Inventions

From http://www.theatlantic.com One visible sign of China’s recent economic growth is the rise in prominence of inventors and entrepreneurs. For years now, Chinese farmers, engineers, and businessmen have taken on ambitious do-it-yourself projects, constructing homemade submarines, helicopters, robots, safety equipment, … Continue reading →

By rail

From http://www.boston.com Simple and efficient, rail travel nonetheless inspires a sense of romance. By train, subway, and a seemingly endless variety of trams, trolleys, and coal shaft cars, we’ve moved on rails for hundreds of years. Industry too relies on … Continue reading →

On the Border

From http://www.theatlantic.com The border between the United States and Mexico stretches 3,169 kilometers (1,969 miles), crossing deserts, rivers, towns, and cities from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico. Every year, an estimated 350 million people legally cross the border, … Continue reading →

Nanhe River Landscape Bridge from WXY Architecture

From http://www.beautifullife.info New York studio WXY Architecture have won a competition to build the Nanhe River Landscape Bridge in Xinjin County, China. This red bridge is due to begin later this year and will cross the river in two interlaced … Continue reading →

Got Milk? – 18 +

From http://www.beautifullife.info We’ve mentioned about creativity of russian photographer Andrey Razoomovsky in our previous post – Photosession with Aliens. And we couldn’t avoid to represent you another great photosession of him. This juicy photoshoot called Milk will impress your imagination … Continue reading →